Pornhub Joins Net Neutrality Fight
The internet-wide day of action to save net neutrality just got even more support.
On Wednesday, Pornhub announced that it is joining the fight for net neutrality and will be participating in an internet-wide day of action on July 12. And you can bet that if net neutrality falls, you might have to pay something extra to stream your pleasure on the down low.
Pornhub joins a number of major websites, including Reddit, OKCupid, Amazon, Kickstarter, and Chess.com that will host pro-net neutrality statements on July 12. The protest is being organized by the open internet advocacy group Fight for the Future, which is working to give users ways to take action before the first public comment period on the net neutrality rule ends on July 17. The goal of the day of action is planned to get users to engage before the comment period closes in the attempt to save the open internet.
Led by former Verizon executive and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, net neutrality is being threatened by a proposed rule to lift Title II, which prevents telecommunication companies from censoring the web, throttling internet speeds, or creating monopolies. Different sites are working to demonstrate how the loss of net neutrality will effect the internet. Options include an icon to show that a user is in the “slow lane,” messages that the page is being censored, or fake paywall messages to demonstrate that you would have to pay more to access a specific site. Pornhub hasn’t decided exactly what it will do on the day of action, but is considering a loading icon to show that some sites can be forced into throttled internet speeds.
Since Pornhub has 75 million daily visitors, it poses a major addition to the web-wide day of action. When it was created 10 years ago, Pornhub would have been at the mercy of internet service providers, Pornhub’s VP tells Motherboard. And if net neutrality is eliminated, your internet service provider could decide to censor Pornhub, or charge you extra to use a dating site like OKCupid so you’re not spending so much time on Pornhub.
And if you don’t want your cable company to charge you to watch porn, as if you’re in a cheap motel and have to pay to play the adult videos, commenting on the FCC ruling or emailing Ajit Pai, is one way to fight.
